Gov. Cuomo Launches Live Entertainment in Three Weeks, but No Relief for Local Promoters

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo will launch the return of the state's live entertainment industry in three weeks, before the state reaches a coronavirus herd immunity. The governor introduced his New York Arts Revival initiative on January 12 in the second of his weeklong State of the State policy addresses which document his agenda for the state in 2021.

"We must bring arts and culture back to life," Cuomo said.

Tony-nominated Renée Fleming, Tony winner Hugh Jackman, Grammy and Pulitzer winner Wynton Marsalis, Chris Rock, and Tony nominee Amy Schumer will be among the more than 150 artists who will perform in the series of pop-up performances in arts events statewide, according to the governor.

"We cannot wait until summer to turn the lights back on for the arts," Cuomo said.

The New York Arts Revival is the most ambitious attempt yet by any state to promote and advance a return to live performances before live audiences. Beginning February 4, the program will offer indoor and outdoor performances in parks, public plazas, museums, theaters, and even on the backs of trucks. The series will end in June with the opening of Little Island, the park-like performance center under construction at Pier 55 in Hudson River Park, and with the 20th anniversary of the Tribeca Film Festival. New York City venues without fixed seating, including the Park Avenue Armory, Harlem Stage, St. Ann's Warehouse, the National Black Theatre, and the Shed, may house the initial programs.

Cuomo said that New York could not wait for enough vaccinated citizens to reach herd immunity before making attempts to revive the state's performing arts programs.

"We're looking at months of shutdowns," he said. "We need to begin to act now. We can't float along letting pain, hardship and inequality grow around us."

The governor announced neither the event schedule nor the publication date of such a schedule. He also did not reveal the source of funding, although insiders project that this will be a public-private partnership.

The Grady Tesch Quartet performs on Thursdays inside Rue-B to diners seated outdoors

While announcing how the state prepares to enter the live entertainment industry, Cuomo failed to mention when independent promoters could resume booking shows. Local venues such as Madison Square Garden, the Beacon Theatre, Terminal 5, Webster Hall and the Bowery Ballroom have remained closed since March 2020. After remaining dark for 10 months, some venues may be in danger of closing permanently.

Strange Majik performed inside one of the Marshall Stack windows on January 9

Cuomo also made no mention as to when the nightclub industry might look to stage indoor shows. Local nightclubs including Sony Hall, Iridium, le Poison Rouge, and the Bitter End have remained closed since March 2020. Other music venues, including Café Wha?, Groove, and the Red Lion had musicians playing incidental music until the state ended the 25%-capacity indoor dining policy in early December. In New York City, only a handful of restaurants, including the Anyway Café, Baby Brasa, Marshall Stack, and Rue-B, continue to host live music for diners seated outside.

Assaf Salhov at the Anyway Café on January 6

Cuomo only said that he hoped to expand rapid testing, including at pop-up sites, so that the public could be tested before visiting restaurants or theaters in areas with low rates COVID spread. For the foreseeable future, musicians continue to be limited to performing incidental music to diners seated outdoors.

Duefunk performed in a cabana outside Baby Brasa on January 12

In related news, Cuomo also said that the state would begin a pilot program exploring how socially distant performances might be held safely in flexible venues where seating is not fixed. He alluded to the state's recent experiment at the Buffalo Bills game, when the state tested nearly 7,000 attendants.

Chris Campion performed on the sidewalk to diners in a curbside cabana at the Corner Bistro on January 12.

This speculation supports earlier statements by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the United States, who told performing arts professionals at a virtual conference on January 9 that he believed theaters and venues could reopen sometime this fall with relatively few restrictions if the vaccination program was a success. See the complete story, Top Infectious Disease Expert Says Theaters and Venues Could Reopen by Fall 2021, at https://themanhattanbeat.blogspot.com/2021/01/top-infectious-disease-expert-says.html.

The Red Devil Duo roamed the East Village performing for tips from outdoor diners on January 7

Cuomo's announcement also follows the federal government's efforts to provide aid to the performing arts community. On December 30, President Trump signed a bill into law providing $15 billion for live entertainment venues in danger of closing. See the complete story, Will President Trump Save Our Stages?, at https://themanhattanbeat.blogspot.com/2020/12/congress-approves-legislation-to.html.